Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald writes that the Patriots recently canceled a scheduled visit with Boise State DE Demarcus Lawrence, and it could mean that the team really likes him.

"It worked that way for Nate Solder three years ago," writes Guregian. "The offensive lineman was in his truck on his way to the airport in Denver when the Pats waved him off, canceling the visit. At the time, Solder was worried that meant the Patriots were going in another direction. Guess they fooled him, too. (The Pats selected Solder in the first round of the 2011 draft, 17th overall.)" READ MORE>>

Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com wonders if Auburn DE Dee Ford would be worthy of an early-round draft pick by the Patriots.

"The work ethic, smarts and relentlessness all speak well of Ford, but the medical issues may give the team some worries," writes Curran. "Additionally, he hasn't timed well in change-of-direction drills and the lack of versatility is probably something that would work against him." READ MORE>>

Doug Kyed of NESN.com writes that the Patriots No. 1 need to fill in this year's NFL draft is at tight end.

"There’s a clear top five in this draft class, consisting of North Carolina’s Eric Ebron, Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins (above), Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro, Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas and Iowa’s C.J. Fiedorowicz," adds Kyed. "Seferian-Jenkins is the best fit, since he can play both tight end roles in the Patriots’ offense, meaning he can serve as depth behind Gronkowski and coexist in the same packages." READ MORE>>

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com calls the Patriots top needs in the draft defensive line, tight end and guard.

"The Patriots are known for moving out of the bottom of the first round to accumulate extra picks throughout the draft," writes Brooks. "Given the depth of the talent pool at the skill positions, a decision to move out of the round could give the Patriots more opportunities to upgrade the talent and athleticism at the bottom of the roster. Ideally, the Patriots would love to get a big-bodied defender like Hageman or Tuitt to fortify the interior of the hybrid 3-4/4-3. A tight end like ASJ would also be a great fit, with Rob Gronkowski recovering from a serious knee injury." READ MORE>>